I'd Give Up Forever
by hollybaggins
Summary: AU. Gabriella Montez is the new girl at East High and is already attracting some unwanted attention. Then she meets basketball star Troy Bolton and really gets her head in a spin.
1. New Meat

"**I'd Give Up Forever" copyright hollybaggins 2011**

**This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring characters copyrighted and trademarked by Disney Enterprises Inc. It is based upon **_**High School Musical, **_**copyright 2006 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved; and **_**High School Musical 2, **_**copyright 2007 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved; and **_**High School Musical 3, **_**copyright 2008 by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., all rights reserved. The author is not connected with nor is this work authorised by Walt Disney Enterprises Inc., or any other motion picture studios. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorised copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.**

**A/N:**

**So, hey. Hi.**

**I'm taking a risk here, posting this. The story was officially started eighteen months ago and has been sat in my documents file collecting dust. **

**And I have had a bitchin' sesh of writers block like no other.**

**I've already got five chapters written - chapter six a quarter of the way through and I'm hoping I can get through the blockage. It's not very nice and it hurts my head.**

**So, I'm posting this in the hopes I get myself back into the habit and get a major arse kicking from you all to update. If it doesn't work, blame Caroline - ha!**

**XXXXX**

**I'd Give Up Forever**

**One: New Meat**

He couldn't remember the first time it happened.

It was a distant alcohol-fuelled daze; something he hadn't deliberately intended to forget, but forget he did none-the-less.

And as much as he tried to keep a hold of his actions, of his emotions, they always came hurtling back in a violent rage, consuming every rational thought of his mind and completely taking over the person he once was.

Lifting the bottle, he took a large gulp; now numbed to the burning sensation that occurred when the vodka smashed against the back of his throat.

It didn't hurt anymore.

Not that he could remember the first time when it had hurt.

Nothing hurt him when he drank. Nothing.

Just that constant reminder of why the pain was there in the first place. The constant reminder that haunted him, that lurked around every corner of his household - breathing, living and not feeling the pain he felt.

Because how on earth could he know what it was like?

His hand shaking violently as he lifted the heavy bottle back up to his weary lips, he felt a small part of him return.

And as he momentarily cast his eyes over to the far side of the room where his son was lying in a broken unconscious heap, Jack Bolton began to cry softly.

**XXXXX**

Gabriella Montez was going to vomit.

Vomit was actually an understatement. She was literally going to spill her entire guts out all over Principal Matsui. He really needed to back away from her if he wanted to keep that nice … _brown _… suit of his clean.

"Very impressive," he mused, flicking through her various reports from her previous school. "Very very impressive, Miss Montez. I think you'll fit in very nicely at East High."

Maria Montez was a picture of a proud mother; beaming and grinning with every compliment about her only daughter that fell from the principal's mouth. "Yes, well she always excels in every subject - particularly math and science. And I think it would be a good idea if you would show Gabriella where the scholastic decathlon meets at this school. You know she led Sun High to numerous victories-"

"Mom," Gabriella interrupted with a clear-cut sigh. "Please? First day at yet _another _new school. I don't want to be labelled the freaky genius girl _again_. Well, at least not on the very first day."

Maria rolled her eyes heavenwards as Principal Matsui cleared his throat with a small husky chuckle. "You need to get to know the school as soon as possible, Gabi, you know that. And I'm sure there'll be a space for you on the team. It's a great opportunity for you to make new friends and we both know it'll benefit you in the long run."

"Yeah," she scoffed under her breath. "Until we move again."

Maria sent her daughter a scolding glare. "I've told you countless times. I'm not transferring again until you graduate. This is it - your last high school, so if you'd please look as though you're willing to commit, I think we'd be a lot happier."

David Matsui weakly smiled, noting the obvious friction between the two. He'd seen plenty of over-enthusiastic mothers in the twenty-six years he'd been teaching; mothers who flaunted their children's excellence, no matter what their talent was. The consequences of such actions consisted of either bratty students who believed they should get anything and everything they wanted (namely one Sharpay Evans who insisted on her own parking space closer to the school's entrance (with shade), her own title within the drama club (_co-_president, if you please), and her locker to be painted a very shockingly bright pink), or students who merely wanted to be invisible while they plotted to kill off their parents in order to get some peace and quiet in their lives.

"I'm sure the decathlon team will be more than happy for you to participate, Miss Montez, and if you feel that is where you want your after-school focus to be, I'll introduce you to our team captain straight away."

Gabriella didn't reply, only nodded dumbly.

"I think that's an excellent idea." The radiance continued to pour out of her mother. "See? You're fitting in already."

Fitting in. Now there was a concept Gabriella Montez was not associated with.

In her own mind, all she wanted to be was invisible. No scholastic decathlon teams, no freaky class genius yelling out answers in the middle of lesson - just boring, simple Gabriella Montez. Being invisible meant you weren't a target; being invisible meant you could survive high school without earning any long-lasting nicknames that would haunt you later on in your old age.

_Oh well,_ she thought. _Only one more year of high school left; why break the habit now? _

**XXXXX**

Being invisible never worked out on the first day at a new school.

Everyone gawped at you as though you were some martian - and not a cute looking one like E.T - more like a martian that's about to blast you into smithereens in manner of _War of the Worlds_. Teachers patronized you - nicknames such as 'Flower', 'Sweetheart' and 'Dear' were thrown left, right and centre at you until you actually became invisible. Cheerleaders usually liked to have a go at you. They'd find some sort of evil nickname to throw at you within the first hour of first period but she learned that if she just kept quiet and offered no kind of response, they'd get bored all too quickly and the art of becoming invisible would officially commence.

By now, it was lunchtime, and so far invisibility hadn't happened. It was like East High was a whole new ball game. Cheerleaders were _still _sneering, teachers were _still _patronizing, and some members of the student body _still _found it necessary to gawp. She was beginning to wonder if she'd ever reach her target by the end of the day.

Students began to filter out of various classroom doors as Gabriella stood by her already immaculate locker. Upon hearing the loud voices fill the once empty corridor, she turned and faced inside her locker, preoccupied with looking at her map of the school, trying in earnest to locate the cafeteria. East High was a big place - a sat-nav was definitely in need.

Gabriella took a deep breath and shut the locker door quietly before moving through the sea of wandering students in the direction she supposed would be the quickest to retrieve her lunch. Eyes firmly set downwards on the map sitting in her tight grasp, she filtered through aimlessly, feeling looks upon her and hearing the small careless whispers. But that was okay; she still expected to feel and hear those things during the first day blues. She was used to it and adapted well.

Paper airplanes whizzed past her face but she gracefully kept her head down and fixated on her not-so-helpful map. Whoops and hollers clouded her ears and in a heartbeat, she felt an arm wrap itself tightly around her shoulder and yank her to one side - the movement so unexpected and quick, it made her utter a squeak of terror.

"New Meat! Woah! New Meat!" The voice chanted, squishing her head into his shoulder. Gabriella scrunched up her nose in annoyance and push against the offender's chest in an attempt to free herself. "Hey, don't be scared, New Meat. I'm a good guy. _We're _the good guys."

"I think you're hurting her, man." Another voice quipped up and Gabriella looked in the direction it came from - a very young looking African American who was so short, she wondered why he wasn't back at kindergarten. "Loosen up a bit, dude."

The grip loosened but his arm remained around her shoulders. Now, Gabriella was able to look up at the student who had disrupted her invisibility. He was tall, lanky, and wearing a black beanie hat which suited the rest of his baggy clothing. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye and as he caught her glaring, he offered her a wink.

"What's your name, New Meat?"

"Well, it isn't _New Meat_." Gabriella threw his arm back at him. "Shouldn't you be at kindergarten?"

The shorter boy laughed. "She's feisty."

The other boy pulled an offended face. "Hey, I was only being nice. You were, like, so spaced out back there. I was only offering a friendly face."

"By dragging me out of my daze and strangling me in the process? Highly likely. I was doing just fine, thank you."

"Well, then, are you wanting lunch? 'Cause F.Y.I., so totally going the wrong way."

Gabriella scrambled to look at her now crumpled-up map, her brain working overtime to re-think her bearings. So far, she'd be happy to be as far away from the annoying cretins who'd stopped her in the first place. When she didn't answer straight away, the taller boy sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes heavenwards, before wrapping his arm more gently around her shoulders and walking them in the opposite direction.

"It's a good thing you found us, New Meat."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Well, until you tell us your name, that's what we'll call you. Right, Donny?"

The shorter boy shrugged nonchalantly. "Or 'Fresh Meat'. Or even plain old 'New Girl'."

"Exactly. Now, I'm Jimmie Zara. But you can call me Rocketman… purely because every cat in this shindig does. Over there is Donny Dion. He doesn't have a super-cool nickname like me."

"Because _he _has a little self-respect."

"Whatever, man. You're so jealous of me. Anyway, you want to make any friends in this neighbourhood, we're the guys to go to. Me and the basketball captain are like this." Jimmie held up his hand, crossing his middle and index finger to indicate 'the closeness'.

Gabriella blinked as he steered her around another corner. "And that impresses me… how?"

Jimmie's eyes bulged. "New Meat! How dare you? Basketball is, like, _the _sport of this school - and I'm on the team." He grinned.

"Only when one of the seniors gets malaria," Donny filled in.

Jimmie scowled. "Whatever. I'm still on the team, man. Last week in practice, Bolton let me play one-on-one with Danforth."

"Because Danforth was fed up of losing to Bolton and wanted a free ticket to Winningsville."

"Whatever. So, anyway, you can totally say that you made friends with two basketball soon-to-be-stars. You're totally in line to rule the school when we're seniors."

"I _am _a senior."

"Woah! New Meat! You're a senior?"

Gabriella stopped in her tracks and brushed Jimmie's arm from around her again. "Yes. A very annoyed senior too. And I'm _not _called New Meat. It's Gabriella, if that's not too much trouble."

Jimmie smirked. "So, Gabriella, how do you feel about the concept of a toy boy?"

"Not good."

"Really? I've always liked the thought of an older woman. Now, Sharpay is slowly but surely falling for me, but I'd make an exception for you."

"No thanks."

Jimmie shrugged. "A sophomore can only dream. Don't worry about me, Gabriella, I'll survive."

"Dude, Sharpay threatened to castrate you if you hit on her one more time. I think it's time to move on."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Sharpay? Isn't that a dog?"

"It's arguable," Donny sighed as Jimmie set his face in a dream-like trance. "You'll know what I mean if and when you meet her. She's a senior too."

"She's a vision," Jimmie declared as they finally steered into the noisy cafeteria. "But you are too, so don't worry."

"Joy."

"It is. Now, I thought this little liaison could have gone somewhere but since you're a senior, it's a whole new ball game. Any other junior would just move on, you know. Because any other junior doesn't know half-shit about this school like me and Dion do."

"Listen, Jimmie-"

"Rocketman."

"Rocketman, whatever. I don't need any help, thank you. It was nice of you to show me the way to the cafeteria, but I think I know my way now. So, I'll just be going-"

"Abandoning us already? Jeez, talk about ungrateful."

Gabriella put on her most sweetest smile. "Not that I'm being ungrateful… I'd have never found this place if not for you. Well, in time for lunch anyway. But now I'm here, I just want to eat and keep myself to myself. You understand."

Jimmie raised an eyebrow. "Gabriella, chill. I can take a hint."

"You can. Doesn't mean you will."

"Yo, Dion, Rocketman, you terrorizing the new girl already?" Gabriella wanted to groan as she was surrounded by a large group of boys - all, she guessed from their looks, were seniors. The guy who had spoken was another African-American with the largest afro she'd ever seen.

"Danforth," Donny waved him off. "Puh-leese. Terrorizing? We're providing a service."

"Lay one on me, man!" Jimmie raised his hand for the guy to high-five him, an action that did not take place. "…Or not."

The older African-American, wearing jeans and an East High Wildcats jersey, folded his arms, humour lacing in his deep brown eyes. Gabriella suddenly felt intimidated at being surrounded by all these males - most of whom were already kitted out in their Wildcat spirit sport jerseys. She could only conclude they were the senior basketball players - a group of people whom she was literally set another world from.

"We told you to clear the storage cupboard after practice. There're fucking basketballs all over the place."

"Uh, yeah, well," Jimmie stuttered, scratching his underarm nervously. "We got held up with some other shit. Darbus was blowing a casket 'cause Donny got red paint all over the theatre stage during detention last night. Dude, she's so after our heads."

"Coach will be after your heads if you don't fucking sort out that storage cupboard."

Both Jimmie and Donny pulled childish faces at the older guy's demand. "Dude, seriously? It's lunch!"

"So you get your shit, you eat it, and then you high-tail it to the locker rooms. Being part of the team isn't just about playing, you know; it's about contribution and dedication."

Gabriella took a couple of steps back, away from what ever commotion could occur in the next thirty seconds. Jimmie and Donny were completely under the command of the guy standing before them, and she wondered if he was the infamous basketball captain Jimmie was so "close" to.

So far, she could only determine that East High School was one big and noisy place. Invisibility seemed an impossibility at that moment. Still, she was managing to step more and more away from the basketball players and towards the exit of the cafeteria. Maybe she wasn't as hungry as originally thought. Her escape was almost complete.

Almost.

The moment she hit the floor and the contents spilled out of her shoulder bag, she wanted to cry out in frustration at whoever had disrupted her escape route. Instead of quietly slipping through the doors, all eyes of the basketball squad were now upon her as she scrambled to pick up stationary and textbooks amidst another pair of hands that had lowered to help her in haste.

"Sorry," the male voice mumbled.

"Bolton!" The African-American laughed from the doorway. "You blind?"

"I guess so…"

Gabriella felt the heat rush to her cheeks as she threw everything she owned into her bag, not even bothering to put it back into its usual organised state. A warm hand gently covered her forearm and sent her already flushed face into overdrive as a peculiar strength took over her body. Daring herself to look up, she wished she'd mustered the strength to look away again. The bright pools of blue that stared uneasily into her eyes widened upon receiving no word of reply and Gabriella was powerless to do anything but wonder if she'd ever come across a person quite so handsome in her life before.

Probably not. Situations such as these never happened to her and she knew, deep inside, that this scenario would last for only a few brief seconds before this handsome male would drift back out of her life again and she would blend into the murky background of his world.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked; his tone of voice was set as he'd already asked the question and gained no response. "Sorry; wasn't looking where I was going there. Didn't mean to make you fall…"

Gabriella opened her mouth to speak as they both slowly rose to their feet. She could feel her ears prick with the heat of her blush. She could feel numerous pairs of eyes glued to her features and suddenly the prospect of the ground opening up and swallowing her whole seemed quite appealing.

"Dude," Jimmie crossed his eyebrows. "Did you knock out her voice box?"

"I don't see it on the floor anywhere…" Donny stated nonchalantly.

Gabriella ignored their comments, and when the extremely handsome young man questioned her again with his eyes, she merely nodded numbly in response. Seemingly satisfied with her answer, the older African-American patted Mr. Handsome on the back and gestured towards the viewing cafeteria.

"Dude, lunch? Kinda hungry here."

"Yeah, right behind you."

"Us too!"

The African-American turned his head sharply back towards Jimmie and Donny who had taken it upon themselves to follow behind the seniors closely. "Storage cupboard?" He enquired.

Jimmie nearly tripped over his own feet. "As good as done, Chad."

"Cross our hearts and hope to die," Donny added quickly before they both scrambled from the room.

Gabriella watched nervously as they disappeared from view before the numerous basketball team members walked in the opposite direction towards the lunch line. She let out a breath she wasn't even aware she'd been holding.

Adjusting her shoulder bag, she gingerly began walking towards the lunch line, deliberately taking her time to make some distance between herself and the basketball players. She figured she'd embarrassed herself enough for one day without going for the ultimate finale.

She felt as though every pair of eyes in the room were fixated on her. Didn't life suck enough when you were just the new girl all on its own? Combined with the fact that she'd knocked into the entire varsity basketball team and made a complete show of herself in the process just helped add on the freaky part of her being.

As she reached the front of the line, she sneaked a glance over her shoulder and caught sight of the squad now seated towards the other side of the cafeteria and now surrounded by numerous cheerleaders. Mr. Handsome's head was annoying concealed by one cheerleader's dreaded pom-pom.

The lunch lady didn't look too pleased at being kept from her duties. "Um…" Gabriella looked over the limited selection. "I think I'll have-"

"Ms. Evans' order, if you please." A small blonde girl gently nudged her to the side. Her accent was English - precise, thick and confident. Gabriella narrowed her eyebrows at the intrusion but the girl didn't seem aware as the lunch lady turned to pick up a bright pink lunch tray complete with the healthy option, an apple juice and even a flower in a small pink vase. "And she'll have the same, thank you very much," she added, gesturing to Gabriella with a flick of her thumb. The lunch lady raised her eyebrows but appeased the girl none-the-less and started placing a chicken salad on a new plate.

"Um…" Gabriella shook her head, confused. "I didn't want-"

"Please, I haven't got time to chat here," the girl replied, finally turning her hazel eyes towards Gabriella. "But you can't tell me you were going to order some of the monstrosities they serve here, can you?" At this, the lunch lady growled under her breath. "It's clearly toxic and will do nothing for your figure." The girl then eyed Gabriella up and down twice. "Hmm… nothing that a little yoga can't fix. Come on, come on!"

Almost in a daze, Gabriella took her tray from the lunch lady and turned to follow the blonde girl. Was this the captain of the scholastic decathlon she was supposed to be meeting today? She hoped not. The girl walked with very precise steps towards the centre of the cafeteria where a taller blonde girl dressed in the brightest pink Gabriella had ever seen was sitting at a table occupied by only one guy with bright blonde hair, striking blue eyes and a red cap sitting on his head.

"May I introduce to you, Sharpay Evans," the girl placed the tray in front of Sharpay and gestured to her with a wide smile. "And this is her brother, Ryan," she added, less enthusiastic. "I'm Tiara Gold, her _personal_ assistant and you're Gabriella Montez from San Diego - just transferred here from Sun High with _excellent _prospects, fantastic grades and a retardation when it comes to the social standing."

Gabriella wondered if this Tiara was informing her of herself or whether this was all for Sharpay's benefit. Sharpay appeared to be taking all this in and she smiled widely as Tiara finished her little speech.

Gabriella frowned at just how much this girl seemed to know about her. "How did you know-?"

"Please, Gabriella, I'm brilliant," Tiara replied with a smug smile before darting all the way back to the end of the lunch line - presumably to retrieve her own meal.

"You can sit," Sharpay pointed to the spare seat opposite her. Gabriella complied and earned a sympathetic look from Ryan. "I saw you just now in a head-on collision with Troy Bolton. Not an excellent start to the first day, is it?"

Troy Bolton. She needed to remember that name.

"I've seem too many new people start at East High and fail at the first hurdle. You have to make sure you get it right here or it just ruins everything for the entire student body. You don't want that, right?"

"Sure?" It came out as more of a question.

"Right." Sharpay grinned and pulled her lunch tray closer to her. "I had Tiara find out more about you so I could get an idea of where we should start with you. Scholastic decathlon's have to be the most boring events that can _ever _take place in the world but since I'm aware of your retardation socially - and witnessed it just now - I'll let you off the hook and we'll start from scratch. No scholastic decathlons."

Gabriella wondered if she was in the middle of a nightmare. No way was something like this reality.

"And no orange." Sharpay scrunched her nose up in disgust. "I hate orange, so if you own any, get rid of it. Burn it. I don't want to see it, right?"

"Right?"

"Exactly." Sharpay grinned again. "We'll begin lessons after lunch."

"After lunch?" Gabriella exclaimed, now wanting to retreat back to San Diego as soon as humanly possible. "What the-? I don't even- Who the hell are you and what the hell is going on?"

Sharpay merely smiled, her hazel eyes shimmering. "I'm Sharpay Evans, co-president of the drama club and the _only _name at this school which is important to you right now."

Gabriella blinked with uncertainty.

"And I'm adopting you."


	2. The List

**A/N: So far, so good, right? :o) I think if y'all just bribe with anything to do with Zachary Efron, I'll be set ;) **

**And so forth with le chapter two… (things are looking good for Caroline so far. Remember, my muse goes, it's her fault.) **

**Two: The List**

Where was it?

His head was pounding, his hands were shaking and his legs felt as though they were weighing him down.

But he couldn't find the solution. Where the fuck was the solution?

He buried his fist deep into his hair and pulled at the strands with force, choking back on a strangled sob as he struggled to simply open one of the kitchen cabinets.

He growled in frustration as the object of his desire was no where to be found.

So he staggered forward and opened the next cupboard.

And then the next cupboard.

And then the next.

His hand swatted through the contents of each cupboard haphazardly, knocking jars, bowls, plates and glasses to the hard kitchen floor. With each loud smash, his head throbbed wildly and he hissed through his teeth in reaction to the pain.

He knew it wouldn't be for long. He knew it was around there somewhere.

He just had to keep looking.

When he finally found it in the tall cupboard next to the refrigerator, he smiled weakly, unscrewed the cap and took a long swig.

It burned. But it didn't hurt.

There was his salvation right there.

Staggering back into the front room where the couch was already littered with two empty bottles and two day old Chinese food, he sat himself down and forced himself to press the play button on the answering machine that had been beeping incessantly all day for his attention.

"_Jack, it's mom. Haven't heard from either you or Troy in the last three weeks and your dad and I are really worried about you both. I…" _The voice faltered. _"I know you both need to grieve and I know you told us not to, but we can fly out to see you and help you both in anyway that we can. Please think about it. We love you both."_

BEEP

"_Hey, Jack, it's Dave here. Just checking in to see how you're doing. Troy seems to be coping better at school but the place really isn't the same without you. The Wildcats send their chant over… They're really missing you. Anyway, I know I've told you before but I feel like I need to be there to keep reassuring you… Whenever you're ready, Jack, there will always be a job for you at East High. Just let me know when you're ready to come back and we can start putting everything in place. Um, so, yeah, that's all really. I'll call back another day with any more updates. Um, thinking of you; bye."_

BEEP

"_This is Sheila calling on behalf Dr. Marsden's clinic. Would Mr. Jack Bolton please contact the surgery as soon as possible regarding his monthly check-up and repeat prescription? Have a nice day."_

BEEP

"_Jack, it's mom again. Is this thing working? We keep trying to call but there's no answer. When you get this, please, please, please either you or Troy call us. Love you…"_

BEEP

**XXXXX**

It had been a few days since Gabriella had been "adopted" by Sharpay and after being promised a "brand new take on life with intellectual views and amazing style tips", she'd concluded only that sequins (apparently) were not a fashion mistake, that only certain members of the opposite sex weren't ridden with herpes and if you perfected the art to Sharpay standards, you could make anybody do anything by raising an eyebrow and curling your lip.

Sharpay had even summoned Tiara to decorate Gabriella's locker, turning the inside of it into a shockingly coloured pink with sequins lining the frames. Tiara had even sorted and re-organised Gabriella's textbooks, commenting that Gabriella's take on organisation really wasn't at its best standard. Gabriella could only disagree.

Still, as annoying as she found Sharpay and her constant blonde shadow, Gabriella mostly hated the fact that she _liked _her. Sure, she was bossy, over the top and completely dramatic, but she liked her. She was different; her mind was obviously warped but that's what made it all the more interesting to hang around with her.

As the lunch bell rang, Gabriella was situated at her newly decorated locker swapping textbooks around and carefully putting away assignments. She was over conscious of what she was moving around, feeling as though Tiara Gold's beady little eyes were constantly upon her.

As the days had passed, she'd come to realise that East High wasn't as bad as she'd originally thought. Her first day embarrassment seemed to be old news and now she'd practically blended in with the crowd. She hadn't exposed her freaky genius side too much to attract enough attention and her mother was blissfully unaware that her daughter had not joined the schools scholastic decathlon team.

Students began to filter through the corridors and Gabriella instinctively huddled closer to her open locker to avoid being crushed in the herd. She'd always been uncomfortable in large crowds.

"It's next weekend…" The shrill voice of a senior girl somehow made Gabriella turn her head around. Or maybe it was the feeling of somehow knowing exactly just who it was the girl was talking to.

Troy Bolton.

Ever since their fateful collision, Gabriella had only managed slight eye contact with the basketball captain which consequently resulted in her face heating up rapidly to make her look like a human tomato. No words had been spoken; he'd merely acknowledged her presence with a small nod or a quick, brief smile. They only shared one class - literature. And Gabriella had hidden herself away at the desk in the back corner whilst Troy was situated up front surrounded by all his friends and admirers. It didn't stop her glances and she wondered how long she'd be able to get away with them until someone sitting nearby would pick up on her already unhealthy obsession.

He was just too nice to look at. She'd already observed so many things and they'd barely spoken. He was constantly flicking his long, shaggy hair from his eyes and while Gabriella would normally think to herself about how badly he needed a haircut, she found she could do nothing but adore this quirk. He didn't smile often, but when he did, it seemed to light up the room. When the teacher singled him out to answer a question, he'd nervously scratch the back of his neck and tense up, lowering his eyes to the floor.

Those eyes. She'd never seen a pair so beautiful. So blue. So completely out of this world.

And why did these simple things send her stomach into complete overdrive? She didn't even want to think of the possibilities.

All she knew for certain was that there was a boy called Troy Bolton, and she simply couldn't take her eyes away from him.

"You told Chad you'd go," the girl whined with a small chuckle as Troy backed up against his locker across from where Gabriella was standing. "It wouldn't be the same without you there."

The girl was beautiful. Long locks of auburn hair, stunning green eyes, and a figure every girl would die for. In her presence, Gabriella felt extremely clumsy, inadequate, untidy and just plain ugly.

The way the girl gently placed her hands on Troy's waist made her feel an unbearable weight on her chest. She clutched her textbooks tight to her chest and tried not to watch as the girl leaned in closer, gently pressing Troy backwards until there was no space between them.

"I really want to go," Troy replied softly, his eyes distant. "More than anything. But…" he hesitated and Gabriella held her breath as Troy let out a small sigh. "I need to deal with some stuff at home and I don't know if it'll all be sorted by that time. But I really want to go."

The girl had a look of understanding on her features. She lightly reached up to finger Troy's shirt collar and smiled a small smile. "Whatever you need, Troy. Whatever you need."

Gabriella knew she really shouldn't have been looking. She'd never been an eavesdropper, but she suddenly found herself slowly turning her head back in the couple's direction. The redhead was still pressed up against him and she swore Troy looked uncomfortable.

But that didn't stop him from engaging in a heated lip-lock with her.

At this, Gabriella whipped her head back around to her locker, her cheeks burning and spreading to the tips of her ears. The kiss didn't last long - at least, she could tell by the sounds she was hearing. And then, as if in no control of her actions, she turned back around and peeked over her shoulder at the two students.

"You call me and let me know, hmm?" The redhead murmured flirtatiously. Troy just nodded silently and watched as she skulked away down the corridor.

Gabriella watched as if in slow motion. There was something… just something she couldn't put a finger on. She saw it when his eyes drifted towards her and locked them both in a powerful gaze that almost left her breathless. She saw something right there - what it was, she didn't know. But she felt this overwhelming urge to know; a need, or even a purpose if she wanted to be dramatic.

There was something about Troy Bolton. Something she was quite sure that not everybody knew about. Something tucked away safely behind those tantalising eyes.

Something…

**XXXXX**

"It's quite tragic, really." Sharpay sighed dramatically as she flicked through copies of Gabriella's transcripts that Tiara had managed to get a hold of. How, Gabriella was not sure, but she was pretty certain it was illegal in all states.

"Nine different high schools? Are you freaking kidding me?" She shot across the table, interrupting other students who were trying to study in the small East High library.

"Mom's very career-driven," Gabriella recited; as she had done to every student that had asked her about this subject at each of the high school's she had previously attended. "We move a lot."

"Six different states in _two_ _years?_" Sharpay blinked and Tiara shook her head in disappointment. "It's a wonder you're not _completely _socially retarded, Gabriella. Although I am worried about all these scholastic decathlon competitions you've taken part in…"

"Mom's… pushy."

"Well, it ends here. You can't keep being somebody's doormat, you know."

Ryan shot her a sympathetic look from over his physics textbook, hinting towards his twin and her behaviour. Gabriella smiled back gratefully. At least she knew life would never be dull with Sharpay Evans as an acquaintance.

"Sure, Sharpay. It ends here."

"No more geeky clubs."

"No more geeky clubs."

Sharpay studied her like a science experiment for a few moments. "This is gonna be harder than I originally thought."

"Oh!" Tiara quickly reached for her tote and pulled out a large pink file labelled "Gabriella" and placed it in front of Sharpay. "I've looked into this… scholastic decathlon business," she said in disgust. "Taylor McKessie has already selected members for the senior team, _however_ I have sources who tell me that Principal Matsui is arranging for Taylor to meet up with Gabriella for discussions of making her an honouree team member."

"No!" Sharpay's eyes widened in horror.

"Yes," Tiara sighed and re-directed her gaze to Gabriella. "But don't worry. I shall train Gabriella on how to act once this horror is bestowed upon her. Taylor McKessie is known to be a controlling and stubborn one… but I can easily handle such matters."

"Fabulous!" Sharpay clapped her hands together. "We can adjourn this topic for now. We are _not _crossing it off the list until McKessie has been diverted and Gabriella is safe."

"I'm sorry," Gabriella shook her head, confused. "You have a _file _on me?"

"We needed to be prepared for your arrival," Tiara replied smugly. "Organisation is everything."

"What am I? A martian? You don't need to _puppet _me."

"I'm here to help, Gabriella, and that is all. Once you've found your feet, the lessons stop and you'll reach school stardom."

School stardom did sound better than freaky math geek.

Gabriella opened her mouth to retort, but then decided against it and closed it again, propping her chin up boredly with her hand. Ryan was smirking as he pretended to read beside her and she smiled at his antics. At least he seemed normal.

"Now, what's next?" Sharpay looked over at the pink sheet of paper sitting in front of her. "Dress." She scrunched up her nose as she took in Gabriella's simple look of jeans, t-shirt and a light jacket. "I think that calls for after school activities. There's nothing I can do about _that _here."

Tiara began scribbling down on her sheet quickly. "I've already noted down your five favourite stores."

"That depends," Ryan finally spoke up, lowering his book slightly. "Do Gabriella's parents spend ridiculous amounts of money of her clothes?"

Gabriella's eyes widened to saucers.

Tiara quickly scribbled down something else.

"I've also listed five stores you approve of that are in fair price range for someone of Gabriella's statue."

Sharpay's eyes were still narrowed into slits towards her brother. "Your opinion is appreciated when asked for."

"Are we adjourning this topic?" Tiara asked, pen poised and ready.

"Yes, adjourn. But check Gabriella's schedule. We'll need to plan in a shopping trip."

Gabriella groaned inwardly. Not a shopping trip.

"What's next on the list, Tiara?"

"Um… next is… boys? This soon?"

"Hmm, I don't know." Sharpay cast a suspicious glance at her adoptee, who blushed almost immediately. "I saw Jimmie Zara and his short friend hovering around her earlier."

"They're like bad smells." Gabriella scrunched her nose up at the accusation. "They haven't left _me _alone since I started here."

"Plus, they're juniors. Dating a junior whilst in senior year would be _very _bad," Tiara added. "Although, she is catching on. The jocks are a very good place to start in terms of social standing."

"The ones that aren't beasts, yes," Sharpay replied. "Zara and Shortie are _not _at the top of the food chain."

Tiara's pen was a blur once again. "I'm listing the five most popular jocks in school…"

"Bolton, Danforth, Baylor, Cross, Jenkins," Ryan recited, this time not lifting his eyes.

Gabriella felt her throat constrict. "What are you…?"

"Jason Cross has started seeing Kelsi Neilson," Sharpay smirked as though it was a funny joke. "The jocks are already wading into the drama department, and they started at the bottom of the pile with her! Besides, I think his mother constantly dropped him as a child - he'd never do for Gabriella. Once we've finished with her, that is."

Tiara put a line through one of the names on her list. "Cross. Off. Danforth?"

Sharpay sighed sadly. "Again, I've heard he's retarded. Anyone with hair that big cannot possibly be in a normal mind frame. And I saw him consume an entire pizza in less than fifteen minutes. The sight was just," she shuddered, "repulsive."

"But he is Troy Bolton's best friend," Tiara put in. "He has status and his looks are… well, a little more than average."

"Hmm…" Sharpay was deep in thought. Gabriella was desperate for the conversation to turn back to Troy. "Okay, put him on 'maybe'. You can cross Bolton off that list right now. There's no way in hell _that _would ever happen."

Tiara crossed out and Gabriella felt her heart drop at the action.

"Now, Baylor?"

"His cookies are genius, and his status is promising. But-"

"He's madly in love with Sharpay and she secretly likes the attention?" Ryan put in again, this time with a playful grin.

Again, Sharpay's eyes narrowed at him. "Opinion. Not appreciated. Shut up."

"Am I crossing him off the list?"

"Um, yes. We still need to work out an exercise regime for Gabriella, and his baking techniques would put a dent in the entire plan."

"Okay. Baylor. Crossed off. That leaves Jenkins."

Gabriella raised a questioning eyebrow. "Jenkins?"

"Craig Jenkins. Varsity basketball team. Not the brightest button in the school - grades are average, but I hear he has a charm with women and his looks are fairly decent." Tiara was speaking as though she'd studied him extensively. "He's not in the main circle of friends on the team, but as for popularity, he's straight after the main four. He was dating Charmaine Deakins up until three weeks ago when he caught her making out with his cousin. He was pretty broken up about it until Meagan Abrams helped him forget at Madison Lewis' house party a few days later."

"And Meagan Abrams' current status?"

"Single," Tiara replied. "She was annoyed when Jenkins seemed to forget about their rendezvous at the party. She got kinda stalker-ish and so he's been avoiding her like the plague. However, he did tell Owen Wilkinson that he's looking to date a girl who doesn't cheat or stalk him… or someone who makes up fantasy stories at parties."

"Do you cheat, Gabriella?" Sharpay asked directly.

"Huh? What? No!"

"Stalk people?"

She was suddenly starting to think that maybe her little unhealthy obsession of Troy Bolton could suddenly turn to stalking if she wasn't careful. "No…"

"Make up fantasy stories?"

"Only for my lit coursework."

"Perfect! You're a match made in heaven! Tiara, circle Jenkins. He's our target. Schedule him in after the shopping trip and make-over session."

"Jenkins. Circled. Jenkins. Scheduled."

"Wait, Sharpay. I don't _want _to be match-made with some random guy."

"It's not random," Tiara answered blankly. "It's Craig Jenkins."

"To me, random."

"Weren't you listening to me when I was telling you about his exes and Madison Lewis' party?" She sighed loudly in annoyance. "Honestly, Gabriella, do you want to do this right?"

"What? Meet someone, get to know them, get their number and then maybe become boyfriend and girlfriend? Yeah, it would be nice."

"Oh, Gabriella," Sharpay sighed with a smile. "You're so old fashioned."

**XXXXX**

"Give it to me, baby!"

Gabriella could only conclude that Jimmie Zara was one of the worst singers ever.

"Uh huh! Uh huh!" Donny lifted his arms and 'raised the roof' beside his friend.

"Give it to me, baby!" Jimmie sang again, his arm winding around Gabriella's shoulder as the three walked through the crowded halls of East High.

"Uh huh! Uh huh!"

"Give it to me, baby!" He motioned for Gabriella to sing along, and was disappointed when she shot him a pointed glance and Donny chanted along instead.

"Uh huh! Uh huh!"

"And all the girls say I'm pretty fly for a white guy!"

Gabriella's cheeks flamed as various students laughed and clapped along with the two juniors antics and she annoyingly pushed Jimmie's arm from around her shoulder.

"Do you have to make a scene wherever you go?"

"Hey!" Jimmie laughed, holding his hands up in defence. "I only like to make an entrance!"

"So why not surprise a few people and enter a room quietly?"

"Pfft!" Donny scoffed, rolling his eyes at her. "Not-so New Meat, you really need to get to know us more."

Jimmie spread his arms out and up in the air, ready to belt out another song. "And I think it's gonna be a long, long time, 'til touch down brings me round again to find… I'm not the man they think I am at home… Oh, _no, no, no_… I'm a rocket man!" His eyes closed for dramatic effect as Donny beat boxed beside him. "Rocket man… burning out his fuse up here alone!"

Gabriella wanted the ground to swallow her whole. Even more so when she saw the basketball team slowly make their way towards them. Troy was at the front of the group with best friend Chad at his side. She watched his movements closely; watched as his eyes trained solely on the ground until he heard Jimmie's incessant singing, and suddenly humour weaved loosely in his eyes.

"Oi, Elton John!" Chad called out towards them.

Jimmie grinned at the attention he'd grabbed and began singing even louder. "It's just my job five days a week! A rocket man! A rocket man!"

"Oh, you know we're keeping it real!" Donny laughed as the team stopped in front of them. Gabriella held her books tighter to her chest, trying her hardest to become invisible. She caught sight of Ryan in the corner of her eye beside his locker, and he was smiling in sympathy and humour towards her.

Chad playfully caught Jimmie in a headlock and began monkey-scrubbing his beanie-clad head. "You going all drama-geek on us now, Rocketman?"

"What can I say? I'm a dude of many talents."

"That's certainly up for discussion!"

Gabriella lifted her eyes to see Troy looking down on her, his face expressionless. Chad noticed and smiled, nudging his elbow into his friend's side.

"Be careful around her, Bolton. One of these days, you might just give her a heart attack."

A few of the team chuckled but Troy's face remained the same. "I am still sorry about the whole… bumping thing the other day."

"Um," Gabriella stumbled slightly. "I survived. Made it through. That's all that matters, right?"

Troy paused for a brief moment. Then he nodded. "Yeah, right."

There was another pause; only the briefest of pauses until Jimmie came out with yet another clever comment and Chad got him back in a headlock and started pulling him down the hallway, the rest of the team on his heels. Troy stopped behind for a few moments, his gaze on the red faced brunette before he ripped it away and followed his friends.

Gabriella released the breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding. And suddenly, Ryan was standing beside her, looking in the same direction where the basketball team had gone.

"That was tense."

Gabriella swallowed. "Yeah."

"Sharpay will be pissed when Tiara hears of this. I bet you didn't even notice who Craig Jenkins was."

"…who?"

"See?" He smiled, lightly bumping her shoulder. "He apologised for knocking you over?"

She nodded her answer.

"Weird." Ryan commented, making her look back at him curiously. "I mean, I'm not saying he wouldn't do that because he's a jerk or anything… I don't know. It was just weird."

"Weird, why?"

The two began walking in the opposite direction. "Troy hasn't been… well, himself lately. It's been a while, actually. My parents were friends with his parents - we practically grew up together since kindergarten although we've never really been close. He's had his friends, and me and Shar have had ours."

"What did she mean earlier with that stupid list? She said that _that _would never happen with me and Troy. What did she mean? Or was it because she just thinks I'm out of his league or something."

"Something like that. As far as this school is concerned, no girl will ever be good enough for him. Every girl is considered out of his league."

Gabriella seemed disappointed. "Well, that's very egotistical of him…"

"Oh no, not by his admission. By everyone else's. He's royalty. This school is his kingdom, but only because everybody else puts him up on this pedestal. He's not really had that many girlfriends - I think the last one cheated on him. And he's not the stereotypical jock. He doesn't bully, he doesn't dictate or use his popularity for evil, so to speak."

"Like Sharpay?"

Ryan laughed. "Yes, not like Sharpay does. But she _thinks _her heart is in the right place."

Gabriella thought over what he said. "So… when you said _were_…" Ryan looked over at her, confused. "You said your parents _were _friends with his parents. What do you mean _were_?"

The blonde exhaled loudly, quickly glancing around for prying ears. "They _were _as in… were. His dad _was_ the basketball team's coach."

"Was?"

"Well, I _think _he still is. I'm not sure. And when I say our parents _were_ friends, I mean that… well… a few months ago, there was this accident. Troy was driving his mom out somewhere and his truck was hit. Troy was cut up pretty badly - fractured ribs, two broken arms… apparently he'll have scars for life. In more ways than one, I imagine. His mom was killed on impact."

"Oh my god," Gabriella breathed. "That's… god, awful."

"Yeah. The whole school was practically on fire with worry - the girls mostly. Troy was in hospital for a while, but what was weird was, when he got back to school, it was like it didn't happen. He's never talked about it with anyone - not even Chad as far as I know. He came back, and yeah, he's different. He's not the same guy. But no one ever talks about it. And he's so numb nowadays, it's like he's pretending it didn't happen."

"I thought there was something… distant about him."

"My mom and dad tried to help Troy and his dad. But Jack turned them away everytime. They said that he's the same; that he's numb too. Again, like it never happened. But then, he hasn't returned back to work - he's not doing anything except staying cooped up in that house all day, everyday. Hardly anyone in the neighbourhood has seen him, and any well-wishers or visitors have been constantly turned away. They don't even think his own family are welcome anymore."

"He's grieving, well trying to anyway," Gabriella shook her head in disbelief. "Poor Troy."

"Yeah," Ryan agreed with a nod. "But it's still weird. No one even gossips about it - Sharpay doesn't even bring it up. It's like the entire school has caught on that Troy doesn't want to face it without him even saying anything and they've just simply forgotten. No one asks him about his time in hospital, no one asks how Coach Bolton is, and no one even asks him if he's okay. He's just… there. And they continue to worship him as though it never happened."

"But you said he's different…"

"Well, of course he is. You can _see _he's living with it everyday. He's not the same upbeat guy… someone who would say 'hi' to everyone in passing. He hasn't even acknowledged Shar and I since it happened. He just hangs with Chad and the guys, plays basketball - although his play has wavered way down and he's not the superstar he was. And now he's getting laced at every party held and sleeping with whatever girl who chooses to take advantage of him at that moment in time."

Gabriella was speechless. She'd known there was something.

But _anything _but that.

Ryan pursed his lips. "So, that's what my sister meant when she said _that _will never happen."

She nodded solemnly. "I get it."

"Come on," he said softly, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go."


	3. Your Darkest Hour

**Three: Your Darkest Hour**

Gabriella had watched him, and everything had suddenly made sense.

Whenever they passed in the hallway, he'd look over at her for the briefest second, and she'd see so much. There was this façade, this performance he was putting on: strolling around the school casually in all his high school royalty, seemingly basking in the attention swarmed upon him by willing beautiful girls, and laughing along with friends as they whooped and hollered their way around.

But then behind all that was hurt. Confusion. Loneliness. She even saw guilt.

But if she could see all that, why couldn't anyone else? Why couldn't his best friends even see it? Why was everyone carrying on as if nothing had happened, as if nothing needed to be discussed?

She didn't know him. She wasn't associated with him. She had no obligations to care - no rights, even. She wasn't anything to him; no-one special. How dare she even have a glimpse into a complete strangers life? A stranger who, by common knowledge, obviously didn't want _anyone _to have a look in.

But Gabriella couldn't help feeling that all of it just felt wrong.

It was the evening of Chad Danforth's party - the infamous party that everyone had been talking about for days. Why; Gabriella had no idea - it wasn't for anything special. It was just your typical, run of the mill getting wasted party.

No one knew if Troy was going to make an appearance. Gabriella had heard a few of the girls discussing it during gym a few days ago.

At that time, she hadn't really felt bothered by the revelation… up until a few hours ago when Sharpay and Ryan had turned up on her doorstep, armed with a multitude of clothes, make-up, accessories, and Tiara Gold. Ryan had given her a sympathetic look from over Sharpay's shoulder, telling her that the next few hours weren't going to be very enjoyable.

Tiara had sharply pushed Gabriella onto her desk chair and turned her towards the mirror before running her perfectly manicured nails through her matted locks, a look of pure concentration on her face. When she'd stopped primping for the few seconds to inform Gabriella they were attending Chad's party, she had suddenly become bothered by the conversation that had taken place during gym class.

"Honestly, Shar, I don't think sequins are the way to go," Ryan helpfully called out from the chair in the corner of Gabriella's bedroom. The brunette was currently dressed in a hideous dress covered in the most shockingly coloured pink and silver sequins. The colour drained from Gabriella's features as she took in her appearance.

Tiara put a finger to her chin in thought. "It _does _make her stand out," she offered to Sharpay. "And would clash considerably with your own outfit."

"Hmm." Sharpay span Gabriella around. "I guess not everyone can pull off my style."

"Well, it is uniquely fabulous," Tiara grinned. "But is Gabriella ready for uniquely fabulous?"

"No, she isn't." Gabriella put in, raising her hand sheepishly, too dazzled by the sequins to see properly.

"Hmm… maybe you're right. The world already has to prepare for _me_. I'm sorry, Gabriella, but I don't think you're quite _there_…"

"Apology accepted." She didn't hesitate.

"Tiara, take the dress off. We're back to square one." Sharpay eyed the rest of the outfits laid strategically on Gabriella's bed. "What to do? _What _to do?"

"Oh, how hard some life decisions are!" Ryan pondered, making Gabriella giggle as Tiara tried to free her of sequins. "How about something casual but nice? Pretty, but nothing that makes her stand out in the crowd? Something that doesn't involve vibrant pinks, sequins and glitter?"

Sharpay pulled a face. "How very dull!" She mauled over the pile of bright pink tops. "How could you even think of ruling these off the list!"

Ryan thought carefully about his save. He cleared his throat. "Well, as amazing as these look on you, Shar, I'm not quite sure they speak _Gabriella _to me."

"I think he's right," Tiara replied, sitting Gabriella back down on the chair and squaring her shoulders back a little too harshly. "She's incredibly _plain_. Plain and amazing don't mix."

"No, I didn't mean that…" Ryan said pointedly. "She clearly doesn't look comfortable in those types of clothing. If you really want to help her and her confidence, you'll let her choose something she's comfortable in."

Sharpay clapped her hands together. "I _knew _we shared the same genes somewhere down the line!"

"We look the same…"

"Apart from looks. Technicality. Did you know that most people - even scientists - think that twins can read each other's minds? Twins have this unbreakable bond that _no-one else _can share. We think the same! We function the same! And apparently, if one gets ill, the other automatically knows and gets ill too?"

"I wouldn't go _that _far, Shar…"

"Well, whatever! I'm pleased! We've had a scientific breakthrough this evening! Gabriella! You tell me what you want to wear and I'll judge whether you've made the right decision."

"Um, well," Gabriella glanced quickly towards her closet. "I was thinking… maybe jeans-"

"No! No jeans!" Sharpay folded her arms tightly over her chest. "Tiara, make a note. We need fashion lessons."

"What's wrong with jeans?"

"Nothing. They're fine for comfort. There are even brands out there that make jeans for special occasions - but that calls for real expensive taste. I know you don't mean those types of jeans, Gabriella."

"Well, no-"

"So, there. You simply cannot go to the party wearing those ugly things you choose to wear for school." She sighed a heavy sigh. "Oh, my this is tiring. Tiara, lets move along to hair and make-up. We'll need to re-think the outfit situation."

"Of course, Sharpay. What are you thinking?" Tiara bunched Gabriella's hair up, over and over. "Waves? Straight? Perhaps we'll go for pinning it all up? She would look semi-close to striking."

"Hmm… no waves. That's my preference this evening. Straight… perhaps. You did bring along my GHD's?"

"Of course." Tiara's smile was face-splitting.

Gabriella's eyes widened. "You're going to _straighten _my hair?"

"You'll look good, Gabriella; quit whining! I'm doing you a favour here; never forget that! I don't just let _anybody _use my GHD's."

Gabriella was silent as she watched Tiara and Sharpay through the mirror, and when they were about halfway through their straightening task, she decided she was starting to look pretty good. She could see Ryan still sitting in the corner of her bedroom, idly flicking through one of her magazines and pulling faces when he read a particularly disturbing article. The room was silent, save for Sharpay and Tiara's constant comments and random ideas regarding Gabriella's outfit for the evening.

When Sharpay mumbled something about Craig Jenkins going to the party, Gabriella's ears pricked; she liked the route this conversation may take.

"He's going?" She swallowed.

"Yes," Sharpay grinned. "Tiara has taken the liberty of putting a guest list together."

"I split it into three columns: definitely attending, maybe attending and not attending. Craig Jenkins is in the definitely attending column."

"Um. Who else is?"

Tiara looked lost for a moment and glanced at Sharpay in a panic. "I didn't memorise _everyone _on the list; y-you just told me to look out for Jenkins-"

"Yes, alright, Tiara, that's fine." Sharpay held a hand up to stop her rambling. "We really don't need to know about anyone else."

Gabriella didn't miss the flicker of acknowledgement in Ryan's eyes. He cleared his throat again and put on a posture of nonchalance. "Are any of his friends going?"

Sharpay scoffed. "Ah! Who cares?"

"I'm just wondering. I heard that if Zeke Baylor goes, he'll be baking those chocolate chip cookies for everyone."

Sharpay closed her mouth and looked to Tiara in silent question.

"Of _course _Baylor's going, you moron. He's one of Danforth's best friends."

"So, by that admission, that means Jason Cross and Troy Bolton are also in your _definitely attending _column?"

Gabriella kept her eyes on Tiara's reflection.

"Cross is a definite. Bolton is a maybe."

Gabriella's shoulders slumped just a fraction.

Again, this went noticed by Ryan. "He's a maybe? Did you find out why?"

That smug look re-appeared on Tiara's face. "Of _course _I did. I overheard him telling Zoey Fitzgerald that he had some stuff to do at home, but he _might _make the party later on in the evening. I don't know exactly _what _this _stuff _entails, but he seemed serious."

This time Sharpay shot a look towards Ryan that Gabriella couldn't decipher. "If he turns up, he turns up. He's not the one we're focusing on."

Both blonde girls turned their attentions back to straightening Gabriella's hair. Gabriella let out a small sigh and closed her eyes as she was worked on. The butterflies in her stomach began to die down slowly, rising only when she allowed herself to think of the possibility that he'd be there. She never was one for high school parties - not that she'd ever been, only that she'd never been invited. She wasn't even sure she'd had an official invitation to Chad's - only that Sharpay had demanded she go.

"You know, Gabriella, we really should work on flirting techniques while we get you ready. You want to be prepared for Craig, don't you?"

"Um, Sharpay?" Gabriella opened her eyes to look at her reflection again. "Thanks for… all this. Really. But I'm not really looking for anything-"

"You _think _that. It's only because you don't know any better."

"No, I _know _that. I really appreciate you helping me, but I don't want to flirt with anyone."

She saw Sharpay and Tiara exchange another knowing glance. When they failed to respond, she tried again.

"It's just that… I'm new at East High and need a while longer to settle in."

"Craig Jenkins could help you settle." Tiara giggled.

"I really need to focus on my studies right now."

Sharpay's mouth dropped open in a look of horror.

"I mean… with everything I need to learn from you, boys would just be a major distraction."

"She has a point," Ryan called out helpfully again. Gabriella shot him an appreciative glance in the mirror.

Sharpay chortled. "Gabriella, I think I'm judge of what you can and cannot handle right now. You're starting to make excellent progress. I think we can move onto the suitable dating stage now."

"But I don't _want _to date."

Sharpay and Tiara again proceeded with the exchanged looks; a habit that was starting to annoy Gabriella. She knew from that look alone, that no matter what she said or how much she protested, it would go ignored.

So, instead, she decided to sit back, attempt to relax and take Sharpay Evans and Tiara Gold one step at a time.

One teeny step at a time.

**XXXXX**

She definitely wasn't invisible anymore.

As soon as she'd waded into the Danforth household behind Ryan, Sharpay and Tiara, Gabriella had felt all eyes on her. Sharpay seemed to be beaming with pride at the fact, whereas she was standing with her head bowed and cheeks beet red.

Attention was never a good thing. Ever.

Ryan sensed her discomfort and stepped closer to her, slightly shielding her from prying eyes. Gabriella looked up and smiled at him in thanks. It seemed that through the horrors of becoming Sharpay's adoptee, she had earned herself a true friend in the process.

Clouds. Silver linings and all that.

She self consciously wrapped her arms around her torso, trying to hide the barely there outfit Sharpay had squeezed her into. It seemed that even with Ryan trying his hardest to help in the background, nothing was going to stop his sister once she'd found the "perfect" outfit for her.

A short black skirt and red spaghetti-strapped top.

Her arms were on show. Her legs were on show. There was even some cleavage on show.

She'd never felt more humiliated.

Still, she needn't have worried. She was wearing considerably more than the vast majority of female party-goers. Most were frolicking about wearing bikini's and skirts that could easily be mistaken for belts.

As the four squeezed through the main room towards the kitchen, Gabriella glanced around quickly, searching. The living room had been transformed into a dance floor; all the furniture had been pushed up against the walls and a DJ was situated by the window surrounded by two large speakers. Standing across the dance floor, Gabriella caught sight of Zoey Fitzgerald and three of her friends. Zoey, who she now knew as the over keen redhead who had had Troy pushed up against the lockers days before, seemed to be looking through the crowds herself. More than likely awaiting Troy's arrival. _If _he arrived. She seemed just as anxious as Gabriella did.

They finally made it into the kitchen and Gabriella grimaced when she heard the familiar whoops of Jimmie and Donny filling the room upon her arrival.

"Yo! Yo! Yo! New Meat's arrived!" Jimmie hollered, clapping his hands loudly over his head.

"Woo!" Donny responded. "Go, New Meat!"

"And _day-um!" _Jimmie whistled, sliding over to Sharpay, who looked nothing but disgusted. "Shar-_pay _Ev-_ans_! To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"You stay away, Freak of Nature!" She bit back, pushing his shoulders. "Had I wanted to be in absolute discomfort, I'd have sat on a bed of nails."

"You want me. You just don't know it yet."

"Ew, ew, and major _ew!"_

"Yo, Rocketman! Where're those drinks, dude?" Chad Danforth, all smiles and afro came bounding into the room with Jason and Zeke trailing behind. Gabriella was more than a little disappointed when Troy didn't appear behind them.

"They're coming, bro!" Jimmie replied smoothly, sloshing his own drink about in his drunken stupor. "I was just welcoming more guests! Say hi to Sharpay, her twin, her hot assistant and New Meat!"

"Evans. Evans. Tiara." Chad nodded at each of them individually before resting his eyes on Gabriella. "And I don't think we've actually been introduced. Really hoping New Meat isn't your official name or anything…"

"Um, no. Gabriella. Montez." Gabriella swallowed nervously. "Gabriella Montez."

Chad grinned and nodded his head in approval. "Cute. What the hell is she doing hanging around with _you, _Evans?"

Sharpay's eyes narrowed dangerously. "As a matter of fact, _Danforth, _I'm helping her settle in at East High. Didn't see you or any of your beasts being charitable on her first day!"

"Oi!" Jimmie protested. "I think you'll find Dion and I were more than helpful to New Meat on her first day!"

"And I think _you'll _find that I rescued her before she committed suicide in your presence!"

Gabriella saw Ryan roll his eyes from behind his sister. It seemed arguments between Sharpay and the jocks happened on a regular basis.

"Still, she looks a little too intelligent to be in your company. Don't go destroying her too quickly, alright?" Chad laughed when Sharpay's hazel eyes turned a deadly black. "Gabriella, pleasure to meet you. I'm Chad, the ultimate and magnificent host of this party. Drinks are laid out in the dining room and Zeke's cookies will be ready in approximately…" He drifted off to turn and look at Zeke for an answer.

Zeke promptly lifted his wrist to check his watch. "Ten minutes. Fifteen to let them cool."

"In the meantime, I have snacks - also in the dining room. Outside, we have a competitive game of Twister going on and the front room is for dancing only. You don't look the type of girl, but I'll explain the rules anyway. Make-out sessions _only _can occur upstairs. My room, my parents room and my little brother's room are off limits. There are signs on each of the doors."

"All hinting _fuck off_," Jason filled in.

"Exactly. And if you happen to lose Evans in the crowd, it wouldn't be the end of the world."

Sharpay growled at Chad in response.

"Um, thanks," Gabriella answered shyly. "You've, er, got quite the party going on."

"Hey, I live to please!" Chad turned towards Jimmie and Donny and threw them a walkie-talkie. "Outside. You're both on cop watch."

Both their faces fell. "What? _Seriously?"_

"Seriously. You're… too young."

"Too young? Dude, you _know _you're talking shit! And we're only younger than you by a few months!" Jimmie whined. Donny pouted from behind him.

"Everybody has to go through the cop watch stint, and you guys are the only juniors here. Out!" Zeke pointed in the direction of the door.

"Aw, man!" Donny moaned as he and Jimmie slumped and dragged their feet towards the front door, walkie-talkie grasped firmly in hand.

"This sucks, dude!"

**XXXXX**

Gabriella had managed to find a space on one of the couches in the main room, her red plastic cup filled only with lemonade as she watched everyone else grind shamelessly in the middle of the room. She'd lost Sharpay and Tiara about an hour ago as they feasted on Zeke's freshly baked cookies. She'd tried one and had to admit they were heaven, but while Sharpay and Tiara were distracted, she'd found the perfect opportunity to escape.

Ryan had found her fifteen minutes before but excused himself when he found a small group of his own friends to socialise with for a while. Jimmie and Donny had made several attempts to re-join the party, even insisting they'd run cop watch shifts between them as long as they got to join in on the festivities for a while. Chad had approached her again to ask if she was having a good time. Gabriella really wasn't, but Chad seemed to be nice and so she honourably lied and said she was enjoying herself.

A little while later, her people-watching was interrupted by a blonde guy who slowly approached and asked if the seat beside her was taken.

"Um, no?" It came out as a question, but then she was filled with dread. Was this Craig Jenkins?

"Hey," he smiled gently and extended his hand in greeting. "Craig Jenkins."

Oh. It was.

"G-Gabriella Montez."

Had Sharpay _already _spoken to him?

"So, I was just speaking to Sharpay Evans…"

Oh. She had.

Her face felt heated in embarrassment. "Oh, right. Look, whatever she said…"

"I know, I know!" Craig laughed, holding his hands up in defence. "I've been on the end of her match-making games before. I know the drill."

"Oh."

"Half the time it's a cheerleader paying her to get me to ask them out on a date." He laughed and shook his head at the thought.

"Does it work?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes. It depends on what mood Sharpay's in. She can be very persuasive."

"You're telling me," Gabriella huffed with a small smile. "But she _thinks _her heart's in the right place," she quoted Ryan.

"I'm, er, just wondering how accurate she was being in all this…"

Uh oh. This couldn't be good.

"I mean, she was in the kitchen just now, telling me just how excited you were to see me. You didn't even know who I was until I introduced myself, did you?"

Her cheeks flushed again. "Um, no?"

Craig chuckled. "Typical Evans. Still, I can get past her incessant nagging just this once; you _are _gorgeous. She didn't lie there."

Gabriella felt the heat spread from her cheeks to her ears. "Um, thanks. I mean…" she shook her head pathetically. "I mean, I don't know what she told you, but I'm not really… um… _looking _for anyone…"

Lie. Lie. All lies.

"I _just _moved here. I haven't even adapted to living in Albuquerque. I haven't even adapted to being friends with Sharpay…"

"I can understand that," he winked teasingly. "I don't think any of us have adapted to her. Even Ryan."

Gabriella smiled. "Still, I don't know what she's said, but I'm not looking for anything. Here. With… us."

Craig laughed at her and leaned back on the couch. "I just told you that I think you're gorgeous. Did I propose to you?"

"Well… no."

"I hadn't even gotten to the asking you out part yet. But that's okay, Gabriella; I can wait. You get yourself adapted to Albuquerque and East High and thaw a little bit towards Sharpay and then you'll find me at the end of that - a bouquet of carnations and an invitation out to the movies and dinner. You can choose the movie and restaurant."

"Oh, but, no - wait -"

"I'm not asking _now_. I said I'd wait. Sure, Sharpay's matchmaking is fucking annoying at the best of times but this time, I'd say she got my preferences just right." His eyes trailed down the length of her body appreciatively. "I've just got out of a relationship, so waiting would actually do me good anyway."

All Gabriella could do was nod in reply. But then the entire house seemed to erupt with excitement… and two minutes later, she saw the reason why. Craig leapt up, calling "Bolton!" as he scrimmaged through the throng of adoring Troy Bolton fans towards his friend. Gabriella's heart stopped. He'd come.

She saw him for the briefest of moments as he high-fived and knuckle-tapped various people. Zoey Fitzgerald swung herself about on his arm; her drunken state not allowing her to be in charge of her feet and Troy looked uncomfortable as he tried to keep her in an upright position.

When Chad reached his best friend, they shared a hug before Zoey was shaken off him and they headed to the kitchen. Gabriella had no other excuse to go into the kitchen except to see him, and she timidly rose from the couch and followed, only stopping in the doorway when she caught sight of Chad pouring his friend a beer.

"Everything okay, dude?" Chad asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, man. It's all good."

"And your dad? He's good?"

"Yes, Chad, he's good. I just need a fucking beer, man."

"Woah! Okay, forget I asked." Chad passed the cup over to his friend, who proceeded to gulp it down as though it was going out of fashion.

"Sorry," he breathed deeply as he placed the empty cup down on the kitchen surface. "Just one of those days, you know?"

"Yeah…"

"Grandparents called round. Pretty emotional shit."

"I bet…"

"Yeah. But I'm here now and I need to catch up, right?" Troy picked up his cup again and held it out to Chad like a starving child. "Keep it coming, man. I intend to get so drunk, I can't walk straight."

"Slowing down may be a great option," Chad commented as he watched Troy down the lot again. "I've sobered down to tipsy within the last half hour, and Zeke and Jase have started a snooker competition in the basement. You hold off the alcohol long enough and we might just beat them again."

"I could fucking beat them with my fucking eyes closed." Troy held out his cup again. "You're slacking on the hospitality, Danforth. We both know I could be absolutely laced out of my face and still beat them at snooker."

"You're dreaming, Bolton. But, seriously, slow down. I've already lost every other moron to the devils of drink and you're the only one keeping me sane."

"Sorry, Danforth," Troy grinned, pouring himself another refill. "I've just got started with no intentions of stopping. Is there beer downstairs?"

"Always the perfect host, Bolton."

"Awesome. Lead the way."

Gabriella almost stopped breathing as the two walked past her.

Troy's gaze fell on her and connected for about five seconds until he walked out of sight. All signs of life had been knocked out of her with that single gaze, and she wondered how she was ever going to make it through the rest of her life with that mental image in mind.

And as overwhelming as it was, she felt a sense of loss when he disappeared with Chad.

**XXXXX**

Midnight came and went, and still there was no sign of Troy or Chad. Jimmie and Donny had taken advantage of their disappearance to the basement by abandoning their cop watch duties and making a show of themselves on the dance floor by attempting The Robot.

Gabriella had managed to get away from Craig Jenkins about two or three times before he found her again. And everytime he did, she could see Sharpay and Tiara in the background watching them both carefully. Tiara seemed to be taking notes - probably for those flirtation classes they'd threatened her with. Ryan had sensed her discomfort, and had interrupted a few times before Sharpay dragged him away by his ear with a threat of castration if he didn't stop butting in.

Craig wasn't drunk, but the alcohol he was consuming was certainly having an effect; with him droning on about his last failed relationship, Gabriella was more concerned about trying to magically make the ground open up so she could jump into the fiery pits of hell - anything but listen to an intoxicated seventeen year old who was still mourning a broken heart. There was denying that Craig was handsome, that he was charming; Tiara hadn't cut corners when she'd done her research on him. But that was all there was to him.

When he finally finished another cup of beer, Gabriella spied another opportunity to escape - everytime he finished, he'd offer her another drink, she'd politely decline, and he'd swagger back to the kitchen to grab himself another.

And she'd escape for about ten or fifteen minutes before he'd find her again and the cycle would start over.

"Aah, it's gone!" Craig declared, tipping his cup upside down to illustrate his point. "I'm going to get another. You want?"

"No - no, thank you," Gabriella responded, her smile wearing thin.

"You sure?"

"Very."

"Hmm." Craig eyed her for a moment. "You're a tough date, Gabriella."

She shrugged her apology and Craig winked before darting back towards the kitchen. There it was - another opportunity to escape. But she didn't get very far before Sharpay and Tiara approached her, not looking best pleased.

"Gabriella!" Sharpay huffed in annoyance. "When a guy offers you a drink, you _take the drink!_"

"But I'm not thirsty."

"Doesn't matter," Tiara replied, scribbling more notes on her bright pink 'SE' covered notebook. "It's about showing your interest. You can't decline _every _offer he makes you - he's trying so hard to please you."

"But I'm not interested. I don't want to be pleased."

"Ah, you _think_ that, but only because you don't know any better."

Gabriella sighed loudly, tiring of this constant charade. Nothing she said would make any difference to the blonde duo; nothing.

"Can I just be excused to go to the bathroom?"

Sharpay eyed her suspiciously. "You can go, but I expect back here in five minutes time. When Jenkins returns, I don't want to fish out yet another story about how we _lost _you. We'll tell him you've gone to the bathroom and will be back as soon as possible. Don't get any funny ideas."

"What's the point? You'll only find me again."

"Exactly. So, go. Your time starts… now."

"You're timing me-?"

"Sh! Go! Now!"

Gabriella didn't hesitate. She was tired - exhausted, even. High school parties weren't half as fun as she'd originally expected. As she climbed the stairs in the Danforth household, she looked back and caught sight of Tiara and Sharpay inspecting their watches. They really weren't joking when they said she only had five minutes.

There were several rooms on the second floor - most were blocked with a number of couples who were making out against the doors. Gabriella tried to pretend she couldn't hear the sex noises that were coming out of some of the rooms… She found it hard to believe that anyone would engage in something like that in a place so public. It wasn't as though they could be discreet.

Thankfully, amid Chad's _fuck off _signs on three of the bedroom doors, he'd helpfully placed a _bathroom _sign on the door at the very end of the hallway. That definitely looked promising.

Gabriella gingerly placed her ear to the door, listening out for any occupants. "Hello?" She called out as she tapped lightly on the door. "Anyone in there?"

No answer. Doubly promising. But when she opened the door, she didn't expect to nearly trip over a pair of legs that were sprawled out on the floor. A pair of legs that, when she dragged her eyes up the offending person's body, she discovered belonged to none other than Troy Bolton.

He was half-laid on the floor; his upper body propped his by his arms that were resting on either side of the toilet seat. His sweaty head was hovering over the porcelain; the sounds emitting from the back of his throat were haggard. He'd obviously been vomiting. A lot.

He'd heard Gabriella's entrance, and turned his head slowly towards the door. Upon seeing her, his eyes closed and he grunted softly in the back of his throat, positioning his face back over the toilet. "S-sorry…" He stumbled, breathing deep. "I'll be done. …soon, think. Almost…"

Her heart stopped. He hadn't been lying earlier when he told his friend he'd intended to get so drunk he couldn't walk.

"It's okay." It came out as a whisper as she slowly approached him. "Are… you okay?"

"Fucking fantastic." Troy lifted himself away from the toilet and pressed his back against the tiled walls. Gabriella sat opposite him, resting her own back against the bathtub and hugging her knees to her chest.

"Did you want any water?"

Troy didn't answer. He lifted a tired hand to his damp forehead and held it there in pain. Strands of hair stuck to his face and forehead and he struggled to sweep them away. Thinking fast, Gabriella caught sight of a flannel hanging on the side of the tub and got up to run it under cold water. Ringing it out, she knelt down next to him, holding it out for him to take. When he didn't, she saw no other option than to run it softly over his face.

Troy hummed in approval, his eyes drifting shut with the motion. "I…" He slurred, struggling to open his eyes to see her. "I bumped you."

"Bumped me?" She frowned with a small smile.

"Lunch."

"Oh. Yeah, right. You did." She swept his sticky hair back out of his eyes.

"Sorry."

Gabriella shook her head softly, although he couldn't see the motion. His eyes had drifted shut once again as she continued to soothe him with the ice-cold flannel.

"It's okay. You don't need to apologise."

Troy groaned hoarsely, his eyelids flickering with his struggles to keep coherent. Gabriella watched him - every sharp, ragged breath, every twitch and flicker on his face… The hurt he was so obviously feeling flooded her entire being, and she felt that hard pull towards him.

She reached out again to dab the flannel against his jaw, but stilled her hand when Troy let out another involuntary groan and slid down the wall to lie flat on his back. His head hit the tiled floor with a small thump and he hissed at the contact, bringing his hands up to his head and pushing the heels of his palms into his scrunched up eyes.

Gabriella stopped breathing.

She'd already branded herself some kind of creepy stalker - because what else would you call a person who watched another person they barely knew so closely? But now it seemed she'd missed something very vital in all her observations.

Troy always wore long sleeved shirts. Sometimes he wore a light jacket over the top, or his varsity jacket… but that was all. She hadn't even seen him in his basketball uniform - not even thought it odd that the times she'd see him as he left the gym after practice, he'd be wearing a Wildcats tracksuit rather than a jersey. She had yet to see him play, but with what she could see now, she only guessed that he wouldn't wear a jersey then either.

As his hands had lifted to his weary eyes, the sleeve of his red and white shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing a glimpse of the skin on his wrists.

There were several cuts. Tiny cuts - not cuts that could have possibly been sustained through self-harm. At least, Gabriella didn't think so. She didn't know much about people who self-harmed; she didn't even know of anyone who had… but she was certain that injuries through that had to be longer, deeper… angrier?

She caught her breath. If only for a few seconds. The tiny indentations were on both wrists… a couple on the heels of his palms.

Her eyes clouded over.

"T-Troy?"

He grunted, trying to turn himself to lay on his side. He didn't get very far; his head lolled to the side and his arms hit the floor; his body twisted in a way that looked far too uncomfortable.

Almost numb, Gabriella leaned forward slightly, reaching her small fingers out to run lightly over the cuts.

Troy flinched.

Gabriella swallowed. His eyes were closed, his brows knitted together.

"How did you hurt yourself?"

Troy, with as much effort as he could muster, pulled his hand from her grasp and tucked both against his chest protectively.

It came out as a long whisper of breath: "Clumsy."

And then he passed out.

It was only the sound of her heavily thumping heart that told her this was real. So many things were whirling around her mind… So many things she couldn't comprehend, yet didn't even want to think about.

There was a loud knocking at the bathroom door. Gabriella jumped at the sound, but didn't - no, couldn't - take her eyes away from the broken guy lying unconscious on the floor.

"Gabri_ella _Mon_tez!" _Tiara's reprimanding voice shrieked through the door. "It has been exactly eight minutes and forty-two seconds since you left Craig Jenkins downstairs! That's three minutes and forty-two seconds - well, now three minutes and fifty-one seconds… but _whatever! _Don't you _appreciate _the hard work Sharpay is putting in to helping you fit in here?"

She didn't speak.

"Ugh!" Sharpay's infamous scoff rang through the door. "Preposterous! _So _ungrateful! This is going down as a black spot against your name, Montez, and you _know _how much I hate using _anything _black! Open the door, Tiara!"

"…it could be serious in there."

"Do as I say or find yourself out of a job!"

The door opened. The sound of both Sharpay and Tiara's heels clicking against the floor told Gabriella that they had entered - her mind was elsewhere. But then the clicking heels stopped, the frustrated growls stopped, and Sharpay gasped.

"Oh, Bolton, what are you doing to yourself?"

At this, Gabriella looked up at the blonde with wide eyes. Sharpay was looking down at Troy, her face expressionless. She nudged his ankle with the tip of her sparkling shoes and sighed loudly.

"Tiara." She addressed her confidante in a tone that was unrecognisable to anyone who knew Sharpay Evans. It was so soft, so delicate - had she spoken in that manner before? "Go get Danforth. Possibly Cross and Baylor if you can. They'll need to carry him."

Tiara nodded as she stuck her nose in the air. "Idiot boys. Drunken fools. Don't they learn _anything _from these experiences?"

Nobody answered. Tiara left gallantly.

Gabriella just watched as Sharpay leaned back against the far wall, continuing to nudge Troy's legs with her feet. The blonde shook her head.

"He's always been such a moron," she said quietly. There was nothing malicious in her voice. "Did you find him in here?"

Gabriella nodded. Sharpay sighed.

"Idiot just needs to know when to stop."

Gabriella nodded again. Should she mention the cuts? They were safely hidden away against his chest, concealed from the world. Sharpay gave no indication she knew anything - seemed she was just putting it down to drunken teenage behaviour.

But why didn't her voice and expressions reflect that?

Everything just felt like a blur to Gabriella. She remained sitting in that same position she'd sat in when she comforted him, when she saw the cuts, when he told her he was clumsy. Stayed like that when Chad, Jason and Zeke walked in, jokingly chastised their friend and leant over to lift him. Chad and Jason each lifted his upper body under an arm; Zeke took his feet.

"Dude, _seriously_," Zeke huffed as the three of them carried him towards the spare room. "You're gonna have to start paying us for the amount of times we do this." There was no humour.

Gabriella stood up on shaky legs, watching as Troy was carried from the bathroom. She didn't miss the look Chad and Sharpay shared.

A look she never thought she'd encounter between two people she originally thought wanted to kill each other.


End file.
